"I don't want to get into trouble with my former colleagues in Baltimore, but I believe the sense there was that it was a slam dunk," said city manager Harry Black.The group last held a convention in Cincinnati in 2008.

The NAACP says Cincinnati was chosen because of its vibrant downtown and Ohio's status as a presidential swing state.

Cornell William Brooks, NAACP president and CEO, says Cincinnati's history as a major station on the Underground Railroad along with its location will provide an excellent backdrop for a convention that should attract 2016 presidential candidates to speak.

From what Tri-State leaders indicate, it was solid hospitality that scored the most points with the decision-makers who recalled the "outstanding" and "memorable" experience of 2008 when the NAACP met in Cincinnati.

The revitalization of the urban core was a factor, but it was the friendliness and welcoming manner of the city that left the strongest impression.

In a statement from Roslyn Brock, who chairs the organization's National Board of Directors, the NAACP praised the city as " an excellent location to work to inspire the current generation of civil rights change agents."

Some civic leaders measure with the usual math of 7,500 room nights, $4 million in economic impact and 10,000 visitors.

Others put an additional yardstick into use.

"I think Cincinnati is more and more being recognized as an example of collaboration, analyzing itself, improving," said David Ginsburg, of Downtown Cincinnati Incorporated.

Cincinnati police officers were integral six years ago in setting the right tone.During a site visit last month, they expressed a desire to exceed that standard next time.

"We were able to demonstrate that we police equitably and with constitutional fairness,” Chief Jeffrey Blackwell said.

Blackwell was among a group of leaders who traveled to Las Vegas this past July to promote Cincinnati to the NAACP Selection Committee.

Leon Russell, who is the vice chair of the NAACP Board of Directors, described the city as "a perfect location to talk about how Law Enforcement and the Communities they serve can work together to make our cities safer and respectful for all who live and visit."

The political aspects of the 2016 decision cannot be understated.

The convention would come as Cleveland hosts the G-O-P. With Columbus still in the running for the democratic convention, Ohio could potentially be the political epicenter of the country in 2016.

"They're being very strategic and understand the power of Hamilton County and I'm very proud of that," said Councilman Chris Smitherman, who was instrumental in landing the 2008 convention in Cincinnati.

Both major party presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain paid a visit.

The national contenders two years from now would almost certainly fit the NAACP into their speaking schedules.

Sue Graves, who heads the Cincinnati Hotel Association, said more than a dozen new or renovated hotels along with dozens of new restaurants and attractions will have been added during the eight years between the last time the NAACP was here and the 2016 event.

With the streetcar scheduled to start operating in September of 2016, a mere eight weeks after the convention is held, pressure to give the NAACP the first ride is already accelerating.

"How do we move that timetable up in order to be on the national stage in a big way?" asked Dan Lincoln, the CEO of the Convention and Visitors Bureau.

He said a lot of people are working hard to try to move the needle up a couple of months to give convention visitors a new circulator option.

The next steps include the appointment of a Blue Ribbon Committee Chair, a position that was ably administered by Tyrone Yates six years ago.

An announcement about who will shoulder the leadership load for 2016 should be made soon.

The selection announced on Tuesday will burnish and enhance Cincinnati's image nationally.

The local branch confirms the NAACP considers Cincinnati among its top three convention venues ever.

The Convention and Visitors Bureau estimates the convention will bring 10,000 people and an enormous economic impact to downtown.